Several abortion providers filed a federal lawsuit against Texas on Monday to halt a new regulation that requires healthcare facilities that provide abortions to pay for the burial or cremation of fetal remains instead of disposing of them as biological medical waste, according to Reuters.
The new regulation, which is slated to take effect Dec. 19, does not apply to women who miscarry at home. The rule only affects women who have abortions or miscarry at a healthcare facility, according to The New York Times.
"The regulation has no public health benefit," according to the federal lawsuit filed Monday by Whole Women's Health and others. "It does nothing to improve public health or safety ... rather, it is a pretext for restricting abortion access."
The regulation, which is intended to "protect the dignity of the unborn," was championed by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott.
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